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Friday, July 8, 2011

Masala Tamatar Bhaat | Spicy Tomato Rice

Whenever I want to make tomato rice, I hunt around for the tangy yet sweet pink tomato!! Piled high at green grocers in the big vegetable markets of New Delhi, these tomatoes were firm yet wonderfully juicy. No winter salad would be complete without them. Tomato purees and tomato paste was not widely available in those days and my Mum and Grandma made do with the fresh version for all those wonderful winter recipes.

What I remember most about these beautiful tomatoes was their intense flavour which contributed to the taste of curries, chutneys, and pickles. Sadly these tomatoes are nowhere to be seen here. Once in a while I get tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes, with the highlight being the late summer variety of Pink tomatoes that I go and pick at a local farm!! Sun ripened and delicious, they come closest to the Delhi tomatoes of my childhood.

Coming to the recipe at hand, Masala Tamatar Bhaat or Spicy Tomato Rice is a classic one pot meal. It does not take much preparation and it can be made very quickly. Try getting farm fresh veggies for this one - you won't regret it!!